By Carly Smith
Content warning: sexual assault, murder, suicide, domestic abuse, child abuse, blood
In The Ghosts that Haunt Me, Steve Ryan, a former homicide detective in Toronto, Ontario, recounts the cases he worked on that have had the most profound effect on both his career and personal life. Ryan takes readers through a series of investigations that happened as a result of brutal, merciless murders. His stories include sordid details surrounding spousal abuse, child neglect, relationship troubles, and remarkable loneliness. Neither the murderers nor the victims fit one particular demographic or description, but although the accounts of these crimes differ greatly, there is nonetheless a sense of connection between each story.
The book begins with a forward by Joe Warmington, a reporter and columnist for the Toronto Sun. After this, and before Ryan delves into his homicide stories, he briefly explains his youth and family life, the reasons he entered the police force, and the beginning of his career. His writing is very readable; it is not overflowing with jargon and is personal yet professional. He offers his perspective on each case as a father, partner, community member, and also as a detective. This creates an element of back-and-forth that will have readers analyzing the stories both subjectively and objectively. Readers need not be seasoned true crime enthusiasts or detectives to follow along. The stories are just the right length, capturing the circumstances of each murder from beginning to end concisely and with great suspense.
This book is a great read for new and experienced true crime readers alike. I caution that the stories can be very gruesome and heart-wrenching, and suggest that the trigger warnings not be considered flippantly. I particularly enjoyed this book as an Ontarian living only several hours from the crime scenes; it was exciting to recall these events as news stories back when they happened, check out the crime scene locations on a map to learn that I had once been so close by, and converse with others who remember these stories as I read on. The Ghosts that Haunt Me can be a story-a-day type of read, a binge book, or for picking up whenever you have a few moments. However you choose to read this book, the ghosts that haunt Steve Ryan will quickly become ghosts that haunt you, too.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.